Top 50 Atheism Quotes
Posted by admin on Jan 14, 2008
George Carlin Quotes
1. Religion easily has the best bullshit story of all time. Think about it. Religion has convinced people that there’s an invisible man…living in the sky. Who watches everything you do every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a list of ten specific things he doesn’t want you to do. And if you do any of these things, he will send you to a special place, of burning and fire and smoke and torture and anguish for you to live forever, and suffer, and burn, and scream, until the end of time. But he loves you. He loves you. He loves you and he needs money.
2. Atheism: A non-prophet organization.
3. I’m completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.
Friedrich Nietzsche Quotes
4. Which is it, is man one of God’s blunders or is God one of man’s?
5. Faith means not wanting to know what is true.
6. Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.
Albert Einstein Quotes
7. What I see in Nature is a magnificent structure that we can comprehend only very imperfectly, and that must fill a thinking person with a feeling of “humility.” This is a genuinely religious feeling that has nothing to do with mysticism.
8. It seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I cannot take seriously. I also cannot imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere. … Science has been charged with undermining morality, but the charge is unjust. A man’s ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.
Albert Einstein, “Religion and Science”, New York Times Magazine, 9 November 1930
9. If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.
Gandhi Quotes
10. The most henious and the must cruel crimes of which history has record have been committed under the cover of religion or equally noble motives.
Mohandas K Gandhi, Young India, July 7, 1950, quoted from Laird Wilcox, ed., “The Degeneration of Belief”
11. I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
Mark Twain Quotes
12. “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.”
Mark Twain
13. A man is accepted into a church for what he believes and he is turned out for what he knows.
Mark Twain
14. What God lacks is convictions — stability of character. He ought to be a Presbyterian or a Catholic or something — not try to be everything.
15. Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.
Mark Twain, quoted from Curmudgeon-Online
16. “In God We Trust.” I don’t believe it would sound any better if it were true.
Thomas Jefferson Quotes
17. Shake off all fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God, because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear.
18. We are afraid of the known and afraid of the unknown. That is our daily life and in that there is no hope, and therefore every form of philosophy, every form of theological concept, is merely an escape from the actual reality of what is. All outward forms of change brought about by wars, revolutions, reformations, laws and ideologies have failed completely to change the basic nature of man and therefore of society.
Benjamin Franklin Quotes
19. The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason: The Morning Daylight appears plainer when you put out your Candle.
Benjamin Franklin, the incompatibility of faith and reason, Poor Richard’s Almanack (1758)
20. Lighthouses are more helpful then churches.
Voltaire Quotes
21. If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favor.
Voltaire
22. Those who believe absurdities will commit atrocities.
Stephen Hawking Quotes
23. Black holes would seem to suggest that God not only plays dice, but also sometimes throws them where they cannot be seen.
Stephen Hawking, NATURE, 1975
24. We could call order by the name of God, but it would be an impersonal God. There’s not much personal about the laws of physics.
Jiddu Krishnamurti Quotes
25. Tradition becomes our security, and when the mind is secure it is in decay.
Jiddu Krishnamurti
26. The constant assertion of belief is an indication of fear.
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Christopher Hitchens Quotes
27. What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof.
Christopher Hitchens
28. Christopher Hitchens On Jerry Falwell: If you gave Falwell an enema, he could be buried in a matchbox.
Sigmund Freud Quotes
29. Religion is an illusion and it derives its strength from the fact that it falls in with our instinctual desires.
Sigmund Freud
30. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.
Karl Marx
George Bernard Shaw Quotes
31. The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one.
George Bernard Shaw
32. Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions.
Blaise Pascal Quote
32. You’re basically killing each other to see who’s got the better imaginary friend.
Richard Jeni Quote
34. With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.
Steven Weinberg Quote
35. The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike.
Delos B. McKown Quote
36. Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.
Edward Gibbon
37. Our ignorance is God; what we know is science.
Robert Ingersoll
38. The foolish reject what they see and not what they think; the wise reject what they think and not what they see.
Huang Po
39. Where knowledge ends, religion begins.
Benjamin Disraeli Quote
40. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime; give a man religion and he will die praying for a fish.
Quote from Unknown
41. If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, and He decides to deliver a message to humanity, He will not use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.
Dave Barry
42. Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
- Epicurus Quotes
43. The opposite of the religious fanatic is not the fanatical atheist but the gentle cynic who cares not whether there is a god or not.
Eric Hoffer Quotes
44. I think flying planes into a building was a faith-based initiative. I think religion is a neurological disorder.
Bill Maher
45. There’s a phrase we live by in America: “In God We Trust”. It’s right there where Jesus would want it: on our money.
46. If we go back to the beginning, we shall find that ignorance and fear created the gods; that fancy, enthusiasm, or deceit adorned them; that weakness worships them; that credulity preserves them and that custom, respect and tyranny support them in order to make the blindness of men serve their own interests. If the ignorance of nature gave birth to gods, the knowledge of nature is calculated to destroy them.
Baron D’Holbach, cited in Jonathan Miller. (2004). A Brief History of Disbelief [TV-Series].
47. If I thought the Jews killed God, I’d worship the Jews.
Bill Hicks
48. Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived.
Isaac Asimov
49. A belief which leaves no place for doubt is not a belief; it is a superstition.
José Bergamín
50. One of the great tragedies of mankind is that morality has been hijacked by religion.
Arthur C. Clarke Quotes
Awesome quotes for a lot of intelligent people. Huge Mark Twain fan! Join the movement at http://www.atheistrevolution.com
Please note that not everyone quoted here is an atheist. Some are religious, some are agnostic. In fact, some of these quotes could be a call to the religious to deepen their faith and further explore why they believe what they believe.
And of course, some of these quotes are just jokes where religion is simply a setup for the punchline while others are just plain ridiculous. Smart atheists will have figured that out by now.
Change Ben Franklin’s quote about Lighthouses and Churches. Replace “then” with “than”.
Great quotes. Now if we could only get the world to read and believe them.
Some of these quotes are made by some retarded individuals…and from the the “intelligent” people quoted on this page, it’s quite sad that most would gamble with their “souls” and choose not to believe in something greater than to choose NOTHING. Choosing nothing means you have no meaning being on earth. And that pleases you?
Awesome blog post! Definitely sending to my friends (also sumbled, dugg and deli.cio.us’d it).
Strong collection of quotes on atheism!
Here’s another:
http://moizkhan.com/blog/?p=28
excellent! take a look at this: http://www.spymac.com/details/?2325319
Good stuff - more quotes and resources can be found at:
http://FreeThoughtPedia.com/
Any one who has to read a book to find their soul is truly lost.
>Some of these quotes are made by some retarded >individuals…and from the the “intelligent” people >quoted on this page, it’s quite sad that most would >gamble with their “souls” and choose not to believe >in something greater than to choose NOTHING. >Choosing nothing means you have no meaning >being on earth. And that pleases you?
It’s not about being pleased. It’s about being honest. As GBS said in quote 31, just because a drunk is happier than a sober man, doesn’t mean it is better to be drunk. Or as James Garfield put it, “The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.”
@This is retarded:
You say it’s sad that they would gamble their souls. I’m pretty sure, if a god exists, they would have no great desire to save the souls of people who believe simply to “hedge their bet.” I think it’s sad to believe in a god for no other reason than you think a reward will follow. I also find it sad that you think not believing in a god means you have no meaning on earth. Essentially, the earth is nothing but a waiting room for the afterlife?
Seriously?
I tend to think my meaning on earth is to do right by those around me, to contribute where, when and how I can. Not because I’m going to get some great posthumous high five, but because it’s *the right thing to do*.
you realize eistein is also qouted saying that the biggest mistake he ever made was trying to prove God does not excist.
“Some of these quotes are made by some retarded individuals…and from the the “intelligent” people quoted on this page, it’s quite sad that most would gamble with their “souls” and choose not to believe in something greater than to choose NOTHING. Choosing nothing means you have no meaning being on earth. And that pleases you?” - ‘this is retarded’
Such hubris - who are you to say I have no meaning? Every living thing is part of an amazing eco system of life. You can choose to do something useful with your life and help make the world better or you can do nothing and sit around sponging off everyone else in which case you are right - you have no meaning except to consume and make the rich richer.
There is nothing for you when you die. Make the most of your life while you have it and don’t gamble your life away on nothing.
My meaning is what I make it, and as long as I don’t use force or fraud to achieve my goals, and respect others’ right to live the same way, I think it’s a pretty good thing.
@”This is retarded”
It isn’t choosing nothing. It’s choosing reality, the diverse complexity of life, the world, the universe. Why do you equate those things with nothing?
Why do you believe there is a meaning to our being here? What does the Bible say our meaning is? To be the amusement of some bored creator?
Both scientists and devout theists want to know where everything came from, but the scientists are patient enough to accept what they don’t yet know and accept that they will most likely never know.
One of my favorite Dawkins quotes:
“If you have a faith, it is statistically overwhelmingly likely that it is the same faith as your parents and grandparents had. No doubt soaring cathedrals, stirring music, moving stories and parables, help a bit. But by far the most important variable determining your religion is the accident of birth. The convictions that you so passionately believe would have been a completely different, and largely contradictory, set of convictions, if only you had happened to be born in a different place.”
I think you’ve got it backwards. Choosing a God that doesn’t exist is choosing nothing, not atheism… the wise ones choose the life we know, not a life in the sky.
Epicurus’ quote has a logical error which I find amusing considering his background.
He says God is malevolent because he does not prevent evil. As I see it the premise to prevent evil and the premise to be malevolent are two different things.
I have enjoyed this collection of quotes, no doubt most of the finest minds in history have had a thing or two to say about religion.
More than atheist sound to me like “achristianist”…50 quotes on “achristianist”.
There are religions with more than one god, others without gods but spirits, and many other movements that cannot by named as religions because they have very few adepts, in comparisson.
There is gonna be a brief moment when we all will know the truth.
A regular preacher can easily turn this compend into a tool against atheism…think of it.
@ This is retarded
So you feel that people should subscribe to a religion just because? To “believe in something”? Like atheists should “join a side” because life and humanity is just some big game?
Let me ask you this; how many people have been raped, tortured and murdered by a group of atheists vying for power? How many wars have been fought because one atheist group didn’t agree with another atheist group?
Atheists aren’t heartless, bloodsucking monsters that want nothing but to destroy society through apathy. A large number of atheists are doctors, researchers and scholars. In other words, most atheists are intelligent, educated people and a lot of them are doing things to make a difference in other people’s lives, like researching cures for diseases.
Atheists don’t choose nothing, because without religion you can only choose humanity. And what could be better than one person helping someone else because it’s the right thing to do, not because they fear punishment if they don’t?
For the “about retard”, we have as much meaning in life than a dog, a horse, a rock or a star. If you think that we must absolutely have a meaning in life, that mean god must havea meaning to exists too.
Then tell me: what is god meaning? Creating life and look at them? Does it mean that if we human create a new life form and devote ourself to watch them develop, we’ll become gods? Or is he hiding too and think he has a supergod above him who has a super-super-god and so on?
Religion is used by humans as a lazy way to answer questions: instead of searching, he’s believing.
@ This is retarded
Your comment restates Pascals wager. It is a gamble based on infinite return. Heaven is perfect, nothingness is nothingness. Of course it is better to choose perfectness over nothingness.
The problem is, as far as human knowledge is concerned, both heaven and nothingness are but a figment of our imagination. One has the bible as evidence, the other has science.
“God does not play dice with the Universe” was also Einstein, but as someone above pointed out, all these quotes have in common is that they choose reason and logic over faith.
Atheism is more about embracing reality than rejection. You only have one life - that’s not nothing. Do the best you possibly can with it now, not in the hope of some reward for suffering.
Good selection.
Excuse me “This is retarded”, but I bet your god would like that you use the word “retarded” to describe some of these people and/or their quotes. I am glad to see you would gamble your intelligence by making such a childish and utterly offensive remark. Does your faith not accept the ‘retarded”? Are the “retarded” not worthy of your god? Do you think that the “retarded” do not worship or are unable to worship your god?
You sir sound like a nazi to me?
Before you god types get all worked up.
I’m an atheist. I don’t beleive in any god, I find orginized religion is never about what it should be, and I think the bible is not the word of a god but a collection of lessons.
All that being said, doesn’t somewhere in the bible say that all you have to do to get into heaven is ask Jesus for forgiveness? So if I am wrong (and I admit I could be), I’m going to look at Jesus and say “Sorry dude, I didn’t know.”
The argument over whether or not a God (or gods) exists measures as a monumental exercise in futility. The subject both sides intend to prove is not capable of being done so absolutely and the nature of the argument invariably turns antagonistic.
Several of these quotes are taken out of context to provide an atheistic slant, which is pathetic. There are enough intellectual atheists around that you need not manipulate the words of those who aren’t.
I’m glad that Arthur Clarke’s quote on religion hijacking morality was last since that is what people tend to remember the best. This might be the only quote on the list worth considering.
“Some of these quotes are made by some retarded individuals…and from the the “intelligent” people quoted on this page, it’s quite sad that most would gamble with their “souls” and choose not to believe in something greater than to choose NOTHING. Choosing nothing means you have no meaning being on earth. And that pleases you?” - ‘this is retarded’
Choosing nothing means you have no meaning being on earth….ummmm sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
The universe doesn’t owe you a ‘meaning’. Atheism isn’t for the weak. It is not easy to accept that this is it. But it is oh so freeing! Time to take off the gloves and punch religion in the neck! Aren’t you all sick of these pathetic fools messing up our short lives with their medievil nonsense?
The universe doesn’t owe you a ‘meaning’. Atheism isn’t for the weak. It is not easy to accept that this is it. But it is oh so freeing! Time to take off the gloves and punch religion in the neck! Aren’t you all sick of these pathetic fools messing up our short lives with their medieval nonsense?
#36 is by Seneca, a Roman Philosopher not whoever is listed above.
At least you guys all know that if there is a god then you’re all goin to hell!!!!!
hahahahahahaaaa!!!!
which also means most of the people with these fancy smart person quotes you guys get your tickles out of reading are also burning and being violated in the depths of hell for eternity!
I have a quote for you noobs,
” Any man who believes he has all the answers, is the furthest from being correct. ”
- JPD
You know what sucks about people who are religeous. They’re so committed to it, that its NOT ok, to leave their fellow man out of their religeon. They’ve gotta try to convert or kill you for not being a part of theirs. What the hell. I just want to live, if you’re right when we’re dead… go ahead, laugh then. If you’re not, nobody will know, so why do you care?
Oh, and the whole, “how can you live with life if it means nothing” question. Good grief people. Your life means something to YOU damnit, to your FAMILY. Isn’t that enough? why do you need some omnipotent being to give a crap if you’re around. Your friends, your family. They are the legacy of your life, no religious leader’s reassurances will ever be a substitute for them.
>Your comment restates Pascals wager. It is
>a gamble based on infinite return. Heaven
>is perfect, nothingness is nothingness
You have the Heaven part wrong. It’s either nothingness or eternal Hell. I’ll take my chance with Christianity, as I’ve got nothing to lose if it’s wrong. The only other major religion/philosophy I’d worry about with eternal ramifications is Islam, but it is so ridiculous that it has no chance of being true.
Where are all the poker quotes at? Ghandi loved Texas Holdem!
http://pokerquotewisdom.blogspot.com
If only people would open their eyes to stop all the stupidity and bad things religion has done for mankind…
>Your comment restates Pascals wager. It is
>a gamble based on infinite return. Heaven
>is perfect, nothingness is nothingness
You have the Heaven part wrong. It’s either nothingness or eternal Hell. I’ll take my chance with Christianity, as I’ve got nothing to lose if it’s wrong. Unless Islam is right.
Some great quotes here, they actually inspire me in my faith more than you could know! Thanks!
@JPD
-” Any man who believes he has all the answers, is the furthest from being correct. ”
Yes, indeed… /sarcasm
-which also means most of the people with these fancy smart person quotes you guys get your tickles out of reading are also burning and being violated in the depths of hell for eternity!
Can you say contradiction? Or is the word too fancy and smart for you to pronounce, JPD?
Seriously, how do YOU know that this is indeed the case? Do YOU know everything?
And scientists don’t claim that they know everything. This is the furthest from the truth. Not knowing everything is the impetus for them to explore and be curious about the universe, and hence our technological advances.
@retarded
Meaning? Why do you need someone else to give you meaning? Are you so desperate that you’ll cling on to meaning others give you rather than think for yourself? And what’s this BS about not thinking about the greater good? Just who do you think is working to stop global warming, disease, famine, etc? If we take away people of reason and science and replace them with faith, we’d be no better off than people a thousand years ago.
I find Richard Dawkins conspicuously absent from this list. And Thomas Jefferson was a deist.
If there can ever be a meeting between religion and science, this guy describes it best:
godloveenergy.blogspot.com
I choose to be an atheist for one simple reason. I do not need some imaginary figure threatening me with anything to make me be a good person. I am quite able and successful at doing this all by myself. I do believe it’s called “growing up” in some cultures.
I find it a true shame that so many equate atheism with evil, but I guess to those uneducated people, they don’t really know any better, so I can’t hold them responsible for their actions. In fact, they are much like children who refuse to see what is in front of their eyes.
Both atheism and religious belief are far too broad and complex for simple answers about either to be correct.
To call someone an atheist, is to ignore the question of which God or Gods they make a special point of rejecting - and perhaps more important, it ignores the question of why it is somehow important to explicitly reject something one believes to be irrelevant in the 1st place.
To call a person religious is to ignore a spectrum of beliefs and ideas ranging from the childish and absurd to some of the most profound and useful philosophical and practical constructs in the human experience.
The most basic questions about the origin and nature of the Universe, and about the nature and substance of consciousness, are fundamentally beyond the reach of analytical study. Those who fear the answers to these questions, can take one of two easy paths: Formally declare the questions themselves to be meaningless (atheism), or replace the disturbing questions with false but reassuring answers (ordinary religion).
Neither position adequately addresses the relevant question, “Why am I here and what really matters in my life?” Both are stopgap conveniences, treating lack of knowledge as if it were, in and of itself, final knowledge.
Atheism/religion is a social and spiritual disease affecting industrial/imperial cultures only. It is not found among most “primitive” peoples, who take a strictly experiential and utilitarian approach to spiritual matters. When the mind is not overwhelmed with abstract ideological beliefs, the truth is largely self evident.
The knowledge of reality can not be taught or told, it can only be lived. Those who manage to do this in a modern industrial society are likely to find atheism and organized religion equally offensive and dangerous.
In my opinion, most of the quotes are just pomposity…..you’re not accepted as one of the, like one said, “finest mind in history”, if you haven’t said, at least once, anything, that criticizes religion.
By the way, we all should not forget that, i.e. it was the Protestant Church in Germany, who used (as the first instance in the world) who was present to help all the poor, the industrial revolution had ‘produced’. Those priest did not just watch the poor, starving to death.
(A few of those persons, who just did watch, are being quoted here)
It was religion, that taught us, how to be social.
It was the sermon on the mount, that inspired ghandi to his idea of civil disobedience.
Of course religion has been used several times to justify cruel actions.
But just by persons who did not understand the true meaning of religion neither christianity, nor islam justivies violence.
(I don’t doubt, that even some priests, popes etc. did not understood the true meaning of the religion they pretended to know)
I’m talking about religion, not about fanatism.
I agree with you all, that all the mythological stuff (i.e. in the bible) is just one big ball of…. you know what i mean.
But if we look beneath all those legends, we find, that religion is not that absurd. The only reason, why so many people believe that mythological shit is, that they are too lazy to look ‘beneath’, to think about, what a certain text passage want us to say.
Just keep in mind, that even those ” finest minds in history ” did not know until they passed the gates of death, whether ther is a god or not.
PLS, don’t get me wrong. No one should live in fear of a hell, that might wait at the end of our life. One should not believe mythological bullshit my grandma might have imagined. But don’t judge too quickly just because a few guys said something, that sounds cool and smart, (you should alway keep the social ‘knowledge’, religion gave us all, in mind).
I’m not baptized (i refused)……but i know, that religion has (just like everything in this universe) good and bad aspects.
Both atheism and religious belief are far too broad and complex for simple answers about either to be correct.
To call someone an atheist, is to ignore the question of which God or Gods they make a special point of rejecting - and perhaps more important, it ignores the question of why it is somehow important to explicitly reject something one believes to be irrelevant in the 1st place.
To call a person religious is to ignore a spectrum of beliefs and ideas ranging from the childish and absurd to some of the most profound and useful philosophical and practical constructs in the human experience.
The most basic questions about the origin and nature of the Universe, and about the nature and substance of consciousness, are fundamentally beyond the reach of analytical study. Those who fear the answers to these questions, can take one of two easy paths: Formally declare the questions themselves to be meaningless (atheism), or replace the disturbing questions with false but reassuring answers (ordinary religion).
Neither position adequately addresses the relevant question, “Why am I here and what really matters in my life?” Both are stopgap conveniences, treating lack of knowledge as if it were, in and of itself, final knowledge.
Atheism/religion is a social and spiritual disease affecting industrial/imperial cultures only. It is not found among most “primitive” peoples, who take a strictly experiential and utilitarian approach to spiritual matters. When the mind is not overwhelmed with abstract ideological beliefs, the truth is largely self evident.
The knowledge of reality can not be taught or told, it can only be lived. Those who manage to do this in a modern industrial society are likely to find atheism and organized religion equally offensive and dangerous.
(Network connection failure in progress - please delete this post if it is a duplicate!)
Excellent set of quotes, thoroughly enjoyable read. Never realised how many distinguished, intelligent minds were atheists, or agnostics.
Surprised not to see a Dawkins quote on the list (there is one in the comments, however).
One of my favourite parodies of the Bible is the eternal voice of Ricky Gervais, whos comic interpretation of Genesis is hysterical. Instead of transcribing, here is the link:
http://www.atheistperspective.com/ricky-gervais-on-the-bible/
One day religion will be gone, and on that day, so will war.
@ Darren:
A number of those quoted here, regardless of the weight of their words, would never have considered themselves atheists or agnostics. Their quotes are simply a measure of their thoughts.
Re: One day religion will be gone, and on that day, so will war.
Land and water are at the center of wars, and unfortunately religion is used as a facade. If one day far in the future religion ceased to exist, I am certain war would not accompany it.
Free thinking people everywhere certainly do believe in a supreme being. The problem is that there is a new comer on the block who has been causing some trouble lately while daddy has been out of town. The deity in diapers known as Yahweh does absolutely ridiculous an contradictory things like saying you can’t wear clothes made of two different fibers, can’t eat shellfish, and that enemies should die by the sword; oh except that you should turn the other cheek, or no wait you have virgins waiting for you if you kill the infidel in glorious battle. It is about time that Thor comes back home and gives that little bastard Yahweh a proper whipping.
Eventually we will get a clue and return to understanding who the one true god is. Praise to Thor!
However, I am a little jealous of the Klingons who actually did have gods and slew them because they were more trouble than they were worth. That was brilliant.
Jesus >> Herr
Sorry dude, but my brothers and sisters tried to tell you, but you didn’t listen.
My favorite one was:
“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
- Epicurus
Thats right America lose “God bless America” stickers and get one of those “God forgive America”
America have been blessed because christians were ruling it, and now since atheists taking it over with their shit (Fag marriges etc.) America will be going DOWN.
Quote this suck ups.
I find it disturbing that religious types find such glee in the suffering that will almost certainly befall anyone who doesn’t fall in line with their belief system.
Although Bill Hicks was only quoted once in this article, I just wanted to say that the relevance of his material to today’s issues is startling. I’m a teenager, and I was 4 years old when he died. It’s getting around to having been two decades since Hicks died, and the issues he spoke still mostly have yet to be universally resolved, which I think says something about us as a species. He talked about how we need to “evolve ideas,” because “evolution didn’t stop with us getting opposable thumbs.” And yet, we really haven’t moved on key moral issues in life yet.
Goddamnit, religion.
As we prove on this very blog commentary, religion is why we can’t live with each other.
Of course there are people who understand and respect everyone’s own beliefs. Unfortunately there is not enough of us.
Also, great compilation of wise thoughts!
“but it is so ridiculous that it has no chance of being true.”
Pot. Kettle. Black
The statement below is why religion scares me so much. Do you honestly believe in a “God” that would punish you for not believing in him? Is that love? Religion is for the weak and fearful.
“Some of these quotes are made by some retarded individuals…and from the the “intelligent” people quoted on this page, it’s quite sad that most would gamble with their “souls” and choose not to believe in something greater than to choose NOTHING. Choosing nothing means you have no meaning being on earth. And that pleases you?”
Oh Steve K, do we have to teach you the meaning of atheism again…….oh the pain!!
Top 50 Atheism Quotes
Religion easily has the best bullshit story of all time. Think about it. Religion has convinced people that there’s an invisible man…living in the sky….
Just because I believe in a religion doesn’t mean that I’m a loser here on earth. I help others, I try to be kind, I work, I learn, I teach. You are not better than me because you don’t believe in God. I’m not a zombie because I believe in God. I have not raped anyone, I have not started any wars. Stereotyping believers is just as wrong as stereotyping atheists. Please show some respect for your fellow man.
You can’t prove or disprove God. There is so much about this Universe that we don’t even know about.
There might not be that Bible God we all know , but there’s always possibilities of a God someone in this very Universe. The Universe is full of crazy possibilities. I wouldn’t go around saying nothing exists if we can’t even figure out how the Universe was even made.
BUT until we are able to see the universe as a whole and know everything about it, I see the Universe as being a God in itself.
Humans and our little minds trying to figure out how all this got started. Arguing over who is right and wrong. You’re just wasting your time.
Trying to convince every person on this planet with Faith in their minds that their God doesn’t exist or trying to convince no one with faith will suffer after death.
Both sides just need to grow up and accept that not everyone will think the samething you do.
I guess Mans inability to accept differences of individuals will be what kills us.
Excellent list, indeed. Many favorites. Thanks for putting it up.
On Fire for Reason @
http://sansfaith.blogspot.com
These are some great quotes no matter what the authors’ stances were.
What makes them great is they make you think, and the more you think the better the chance you have of discovering logic and reason (if you haven’t already).
Brilliant!
To all the god fearing folk I will say this: “Baaaaaahhh, Baaaaaaaahhh.”
To know there is no god, is to be the wolf.
This is retarded:
“Some of these quotes are made by some retarded individuals…and from the the “intelligent” people quoted on this page, it’s quite sad that most would gamble with their “souls” and choose not to believe in something greater than to choose NOTHING. Choosing nothing means you have no meaning being on earth. And that pleases you?”
Retarded or not, people only gamble with things they have, or think they have…so basicly we’re not gambling with anything. I feel sorry for you. You spend your entire life trying to get to a place that might or might not exist. I’d rather spend my entire life trying to get to Japan, kuse no matter what when I get there I’m going to be up on the best tech, and therefore the best hospitals to keep me alive for as long as possible.
What do u mean nothing? I believe in evolution, science (even if i don’t understand 1/20000 of it), aliens (the universe is a big place), and alot of other things. Just because I don’t believe in what you believe in means I have no meaning on earth? I have plenty of friends and family (who are extremly religious might I add) who would disagree.
Finally, yes. Being atheist does please me. I don’t hate you for believing in what I do not. I hate you for being such an @$$hole about it.
A good deal of those quoted were/are not atheists. VERY INACCURATE AND MISLEADING TITLE. There are a lot of things wrong with organized religion, but that doesn’t mean that criticism against instantly makes you an atheist.
This is certainly not giving Atheists a better reputation for having integrity and honesty.
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THIS LIST IS BULL! PEOPLE! TO FORM GOOD OPINIONS YOU HAVE TO DO RESEARCH! you cant learn something by listening to average joes posting on an article. If you want to learn something you NEED to do lots of work im sorry thats the sad truth
I fail to see how Mahatma Gandhi was atheist.
If there isn’t a GOD, then why do people keep brining up his name, like oh my god? So is GOD real, or do people just need someone to blame for their faults and troubles? If GOD can fix those problems, then why is it so hard just to ask him? Maybe it’s because the the same people just don’t want things to turn out like they should.
this is a doozy and deserves to be considered on the list. It’s from Bertrand Russell, and it still makes me shake in my boots:
“That man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labors of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and that the whole temple of man’s achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins — all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain that no philosophy which rejects them can hope to stand. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s salvation henceforth be safely built.”
@ JPD: “I have a quote for you noobs,
” Any man who believes he has all the answers, is the furthest from being correct. ”
- JPD”
Oh, the irony. Religionists are the ones who, faced with a bunch of Big Questions, say, “oh sh*t, we don’t know… let’s make something up and pretend we know!” Scientists are the ones who are mature enough to say “we don’t know, we may never know, but let’s try to find out.”
Certanlly god is in Iraq seen how americans kill 700,000 inocent people and brake one of the main rules he gives to them.
Religion is crap, as bush family.
HAHAHA. MOST OF THESE WERE NOT ATHIEST QUOTES; THEY WERE AGNOSTIC OR ANTI-RELIGIOUS; BUT THEY DON’T SAY ‘I KNOW FOR A FACT THERE IS NO GOD, THEREFORE HUMANITY IS AN ACCIDENT, LIFE IS MEANINGLESS, AND I WEAR A LOT OF BLACK’
Wow, Benjamin Franklin really said “Lighthouses are more helpful then churches.”?
THEN!? Really? Come on, people, let’s make an effort here..
How unbelieveably sad.
Mark Twain was my great-grandfather, and he was a very angry, depressed man. Not exactly someone you should be taking life lessons from. He didn’t know the answers anymore than any of the other people on this list.
Atheists spend [waste] their whole lives trying to prove religion wrong. What gain is there in that?
Let people believe in a God.
Let people love. Let them have faith. Nothing wrong with that.
Now go do something better with your lives than just trying to find flaws in faith.
George’s quote is deservedly #1.
Inspired me to set it to music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKIBCbC7XRQ
Enjoy it before the nutters have it removed.
@ This Is Retarded:
How, exactly, should someone go about CHOOSING to believe? The very statement is a paradox. If I have seen what I’ve seen in my life, read what I’ve read, studied the sources of religion, read the bible, or the torah, or whichever you prefer, and do not as a result believe that any of it could possibly be true, how can I knowingly change my logical conclusion?
I couldn’t. Not without being a liar. I believe what I believe, not because I CHOOSE to, but because I have weighed the evidence and realized that there is only one logical conclusion.
“This is retarded,” not believing in a higher power or an afterlife, contrary to what you believe, gives life MUCH more meaning. think about it, those of us who believe we just pass into nothing when we die realize that there is a definite end to our existence. hence, we tend to enjoy every moment we have, because we are realistic and realize that one day we will not be able to smell flowers, to see a sunset, to hear that favorite song on the radio. those that live for the afterlife are the gamblers, hoping that they’re efforts in their life will have been worth it.
furthermore, if you truly were religious, you probably wouldn’t insult something by calling it “retarded.” my guess is you’re a run of the mill christian hypocrite, just like the majority of them out there…
Good list, but it’s missing my all-time favorite:
The most preposterous notion that H. Sapiens has ever dreamed up is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of all the Universes, wants the saccharine adoration of His creatures, can be swayed by their prayers, and becomes petulant if He does not receive this flattery. Yet this absurd fantasy, without a shred of evidence to bolster it, pays all the expenses of the oldest, largest, and least productive industry in all history.
The second most preposterous notion is that copulation is inherently sinful.
Lazarus Long
via
Robert A. Heinlein
[…] list of the Top 50 Atheism Quotes. Amen, brother […]
Hmm… These are not all quotes on atheism, so much as they are commentary on the state of religion.
Does centre of gravity exist? Or, it’s merely a “belief”?
–
My favorite atheist quote ever wasn’t on the list:
“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
-Stephen Roberts
“Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.
Edward Gibbon”
“Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.” - Seneca, Stoic philosopher 4BC - 65CE
Please correct this false attribution.
Those who say that these quotes are retarded fear that the great one would send them to hell for believing this
Anyway, nice quotes
especially
21, 31, 33
My views on atheism: A true athiest is one who doesn’t give a f*** whether Big Brother exists or not. And as long as I keep reading such stuff and argue with theists, I am not an athiest.
Hope I will become an athiest very soon
A lot of these quotes are out of context…
I Know:
That I am made of atoms forged in the hearts of stars.
That every one of my ancestors was a survivor.
You believe:
That your fate is in the hands of a fickle god, who hurts because he loves.
That you are unable to control yourselves without his existence.
one is part of the universe the other is an abused child.
Athiest are idiots. Whoever keeps “Digging” Athiest shit needs to stop furthering thier propogandist lies.
When you look at a Car you can tell that someone designed it. Every part has a function. Is nature any different?
Our whole eco system is a giant “Biological machiner” in which we are all key parts with distinct functions.
the ideas behind Athiesism and Darwanism are both flawed; specifically because that which has cleary been desinged necesistates a designer and we could observe a coke can for a million years it would not “Evolve” into some small marsupial.
Atheism is broadly defined as the non-belief in deities. It is possible to have religious belief and not believe in a god or gods (for example Buddhism).
The argument for theism/atheism comes down to whether there is a god or gods. A skeptical person will choose not to believe in a deity until sufficient testable and verifiable empirical evidence is presented to indicate a high probability of such a hypothesis being true. Since the existence of a deity is an extraordinary claim, there would need to be extraordinary evidence in support of it.
Moreover, the burden of proof lies with those who hypothesise the existence of a god or gods. If I started telling people that I was an invisible sky ghost that could perform miracles, those people would naturally like to see evidence of my claims before making their minds up about my outrageous claims. Such evidence is not forthcoming from those who hold such a “God hypothesis”.
Since there is no evidence for the existence of a god or gods, the only sensible choice is to be atheistic about it. There really are only two options here: belief or non-belief. Being agnostic is simply choosing not to make the choice!
If you do believe in a god then I don’t mind! Believe what you like, just don’t require that belief of anyone else and we can all be friends.
Finally, if you believe in a god because you think it’s the safe thing to do (i.e. you will burn in hell if you don’t believe) then you’re living in a cage of your own conscience. You’re entitled to your self inflicted cage. I don’t envy you at all.
Sorry to intrude on all the flaming and ranting, just here to inform; I’m fairly sure the “he’ll die praying for a fish” quote came from an Eddie Izzard stand-up set. Can’t be more accurate that that, alas..
Needs work on the form kind of hard to follow, which person said what with some headings. Not all quotes are a confirmation on atheism. Just questioning God’s existence, which is on par with faith. Einstein himself loathes being used in this way. Compared it to the way fundamentalists attack unbelief. Congrats you and Falwell in the same boat. Otherwise re-affirming.
A little food for thought:
Assume that there is some sort of supreme being that created the universe and everything in it. OK, there’s a lot of cool stuff in the universe. But there’s also serial killers and rapists and tornados and tsunamis. Were they created intentionally? Seems like the work of a very sick individual if you ask me. Or were they created by accident? Gee, not very competent. In either case, why exactly would one worship such an individual? Out of admiration? Respect? Unlikely. Fear maybe? Wow, that’s kind of a tough one to swallow, isn’t it.
As for me, if you could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that this ‘god’ existed, I would refuse to bow down to one so malicious or incompetent. Seriously, next time you go to church, take along a photo of a child that has been burned in a house fire. Look at it while singing praises to your ‘god’, and tell me if you get a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach.
See, the universe is full of all kinds of things that happen, some good, some bad. Sometimes really bad. And it’s horrible that bad things happen. But to believe that they are either caused or allowed by some being in the sky, and then to devote your life to the admiration of that being just doesn’t make any sense at all. Or it makes you equally malicious or incompetent.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_wager
Read the criticisms. Pascal’s Wager is stupid.
I would like to suggest a little correction: The picture of ‘Gandhi’ is actually not the real Gandhi but an actor portraying Gandhi in an Indian Comedy Movie.
>>One day religion will be gone, and on that day, so will war.
As long as there are stupid jackasses that say things like this, radical atheism would, and should, not be taken any more seriously than whacko fundamentalism, too often used as the straw man by said atheists.
Man has always sought out excuses for being independent of God. Why are atheists so angry and agitatated over someone who (they say) doesn’t exist? That speaks volumes to me.
Humans are the only religious species. we are hardwired that way by God our maker. period.
@ This is retarded:
There is nothing wrong with having no meaning in life. Ego-death is one of the most brilliant things you can experience, and rightly so. It returns your self to the real you, without the need for a God, or rewards of any kind. If you need a supreme being in order to make your life worthwhile, then please by all means - praise your God, but don’t think that people are worthless or wrong because they have different beliefs to you. It is this stance that people endure that creates the problems involving religion.
God made me an atheist.
Atheism is just an organised religion. You have your beliefs, you have your things you praise and people you believe (as this post shows).
You are no better (and in most cases) no worse than any other organised belief.
Every religion (including your religion of atheism) has morons it. Every religion (including your religion of athiesm) has hypocrites in it.
The website - http://www.atheistrevolution.com/ says : “The Atheist Revolution is about the Non Religious coming together to make positive change.” - Much like a church group with the same beliefs ?
Please show me physics, I would love to see the physical “thing” I can see touch and hold (a popular question to prove there is good). I can see the effects, but just as religions “believe” God is there no one can see it, just the effects of it… So once again atheism is any different how?
There are multiple theories (as in not proved and never can be) in the physics and science world, people arguing on what is right and what they believe is correct. Just like organised religion.
So please don’t be hypocritical and say that being atheist makes you any different than religion because you have all the marks of one.
Steve K - It doesn’t ignore the question, an atheist rejects all supernaturalism. You are correct about whats the point of creating an identity that defines itself by rejecting something it doesn’t even consider important. Probably why few folks bother explictly identifying themselves as atheist and why organized atheism is almost an oxymoron. Doesn’t make it any less valid.
I’m sure your “extraordinary religion” is just great stuff.
I’m glad to see the number of intelligent and spirited responses to this article. Somebody asked if we could imagine what the world would be like without religion. I don’t think that point can be understated. If there are people in this world who avoid doing things that are wrong for the fear of posthumous retribution, then we are better off for it. I live in a highly religious community; and although I don’t share there beliefs regarding god and after life, I am a big supporter of the family values and morals that result from their “faith”.
Religion to me is a coping mechanism that justifies death. It has survived from thousands of years ago when the earth was flat and the center of the universe, because the thought of simple end to life would simply consume most people. Truthfully, I sometimes wish that I was raised in religion so I live my life without that very thought creeping into my mind. I’m 24 years, and a day doesn’t pass that I don’t think about the finality of life…
[…] Posted by Jib Halyard on January 15, 2008 http://leftofzen.com/quotes-atheism/2008/01/14/ […]
Why do atheists spend so much time talking about something they don’t believe in?
#45. Is a Stephen Colbert Quote, it does not deal with atheism, and Stephen Colbert is a self-professed Roman Catholic.
Both the Stephen Hawking quotes just imply that God is more personal then physics can explain, and doesn’t discount the notion of a God at all.
Gandhi was a Theist (Hindu), who actually believed in many Gods.
#27 Begs for proof which neither side can provide. Atheism uses things like evolution however, most atheists these days are linguists where as over 80% of scientists are Theists.
“Intelligent” people who seem to appreciate these quotes, are all english majors with no background in science, where as todays scientific and world leaders are all religious.
In case you can’t see past the end of your nose, let me point it out to you. Atheism is a religion too. Many just refuse to acknowledge it.
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“Religion is the impotence of the human mind to deal with occurrences it cannot understand.” -Karl Marx
I like the list, though 36 should be credited to Seneca the Younger.
A huge percentage of these quotes come from Jewish people. Are they particularly atheistic?
The definition of religion is a set of beliefs based in faith, NOT FACT. Under that definition, atheism is just another religion, based on the FAITH (as it can not be proved) that there is no higher power. The view that it is some sort of enlightened state is ridiculous at best. There have been atheists for hundreds of years, and their arguments never get any more convincing. God gave you a mind for a reason. Use it.
What was Stalin’s religion?
It is the folly of man that he should succumb to his nature and forsake his maker. Shame on the motives that this piece and its parts have.
Atheism is just an organised religion. You have your beliefs, you have your things you praise and people you believe (as this post shows).
You are no better (and in most cases) no worse than any other organised belief.
Every religion (including your religion of atheism) has morons it. Every religion (including your religion of athiesm) has hypocrites in it.
The website - http://www.atheistrevolution.com/ says : “The Atheist Revolution is about the Non Religious coming together to make positive change.” - Much like a church group with the same beliefs ?
Please show me physics, I would love to see the physical “thing” I can see touch and hold (a popular question to prove there is good). I can see the effects, but just as religions “believe” God is there no one can see it, just the effects of it… So once again atheism is any different how?
There are multiple theories (as in not proved and never can be) in the physics and science world, people arguing on what is right and what they believe is correct. Just like organised religion.
So please don’t be hypocritical and say that being atheist makes you any different than religion because you have all the marks of one.
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What, no quotes from a woman in your top 50? My atheism relates strongly to my anti-patriarchy.
Just a couple…
The abuses of Christianity, like the abuses of government, are conditioned in the thing itself, and are not to be charged to the representatives of the creed. Christ and his teachings are the embodiment of submission, of inertia, of the denial of life; hence responsible for the things done in their name.
– Emma Goldman, “The Failure of Christianity”
I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.
– Susan B. Anthony
Wow, I’m amazed… I personally found this article to be extremely amusing and clever. It just proves how intelligent man is.
The intelligent men study, observe, learn, and make comments about how God does not exist. The intelligent men grow old, sick, and die leaving behind a legacy that states that they did good things on earth simply because they felt it was the right thing to do. Their parents brought them up, taught them right from wrong, and they learned to rely on their intelligent minds to make decisions.
The smart men choose study, observe, learn, and use faith as the excuse to exert their Godless intentions. The smart men grow old, sick. and die leaving behind a legacy that states that they died for what they believed in and took others with them because they deserved it.
The foolish men study, observe, learn, and realise that the beauty of this created universe is far beyond the ability of man to fathom. The foolish men grow old, sick, and die leaving behind a legacy that states that they did good things on earth simply because they loved God and his creations. God brought them up, taught them that at the most crucial times they will fail to make the right choice, and became their guide at these times.
When it came time to make a decision, the smart men died, the intelligent men gave up, and the foolish men followed their Spirit.
I’m a fool…
I had a near death experience after being stabbed in the chest with a knife and while being rushed to the emergency trauma center.
I can tell you as fact that there is God (Jesus), and a place so wonderful that the word heaven, or any words accurately describe.
I am no longer afraid of death because death has no hold, you only leave flesh behind.
I know that heaven is a place of perfect completeness and unimaginable JOY.
You are young, full of life and energy, All things are revealed and understood, and you feel better than you would if you just hit the 100 million dollar lottery. In the overwhelming flood of love, you are in awe, you can’t believe how much God loves you, and how much you love God.
The phenomenon of Deathbed Visions (DBV) has been known for hundreds, even thousands of years. Yet it remains unexplained simply because what happens to us after death is still a mystery. But if we are to take the experience of deathbed visions at face value, they may provide glimpses of what awaits us once we pass this life. The following are some true accounts of deathbed visions from Dr. Carla Wills-Brandon’s research into deathbed visions. Her book, One Last Hug Before I Go, is highly recommended.
About 7:30 p.m. she asked to be carried out to the enclosed front porch. It was winter and cold. But, she insisted and by this time, I would not deny my mother any request. I wrapped her in blankets and made her as comfortable as possible. My mother was an invalid and could not support herself in anyway without help.
A few minutes before 8 p.m. she said, “I have to go. They’re here. They’re waiting for me.”
Her face glowed and the color returned to her pale face as she attempted to raise herself and stand up.
Her last words were, “I have to go. It is beautiful!” And she then passed at 8 p.m.
I found the subject of deathbed visions oddly reassuring as my favorite uncle died this morning at 7:30 a.m. CST. He has been ill with terminal cancer for over two years now and we knew the end was near.
My aunt said he knew it was time to go and asked his son-in-law to cut his hair and trim his beard last night, then asked to be bathed. My aunt sat with him all night.
A few hours before he died he said, “Uncle Charley, you’re here! I can’t believe it!”
He proceeded to talk to uncle Charley right up to the end, and told my aunt that Uncle Charley had come to help him over to the other side.
In 1974, I was in my grandfather’s hospital room, holding his hand. He had had five heart attacks during a three-day period.
He looked up at the ceiling and said, “Oh, look at those beautiful flowers!”
I looked up. There was a bare light bulb.
One patient was 2½ years old when he had a seizure and his heart stopped. His parents contacted Parnia after the boy drew a picture of himself as if out of his body looking down at himself.
It was drawn like there was a balloon stuck to him. When they asked what the balloon was he said:
“When you die you see a bright light and you are connected to a cord.”
He wasn’t even 3 when had the experience.
A man who had collapsed in a meadow was brought to a hospital, unconscious and with no pulse or brain activity. Doctors began artificial respiration, heart massage and defibrillation.
A nurse trying to feed a tube down his throat saw that he wore dentures and removed them. The patient was moved to the intensive care unit.
A week later, the nurse saw the man again. He immediately recognized the nurse as the person who had removed his dentures and also remembered other details of what had happened while he was in a deep coma. He said he had perceived the events from above the hospital bed and watched doctors’ efforts to save his life.
Please go to this link for wisdom:
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/triggers14.html
comments about the writer of the above link:
“Swedenborg’s visions are worthy of the attention of painters and poets they are the foundation for grand things.”
William Blake
“Swedenborg had the sanest and most far-reaching intellect this age has ever known.”
Henry James Snr.
“Swedenborg’s writings have a sphere of consistent sincerity and honesty. He combined a genius for science and religion with such a high level of congruity as one cannot even fathom.”
D T Suzuki
@Steve K
“Formally declare the questions themselves to be meaningless (atheism), or replace the disturbing questions with false but reassuring answers (ordinary religion).”
Who says atheists formally declare the most basic questions about the origin and nature of the Universe meaningless? Most atheists say they cannot answer them. That’s something completely different from declaring them meaningless.
Religion makes the only claim it has all the answers. It has explained everything and knows for certain a divine being exists.
Usual in our old tradition, god is someone or something who has a job as a benefactor and a persecutor. And devil is someone or something that gives bad luck (suffering) to human being and become counterpart of god.
So, people just presume that someone gives him the advantage by doing what his order or advice, he can get benefit such as good luck, good health, be the part of kingdom of heaven, longevity and wealth!!. In contrast, devil also offers something that has same benefits as god’s offers, but because the concept of god is more powerful than devil, so human becoming the child of devil will become go to hell and torture in that place.
My opinion that, heaven and hell is something that exists in this our real world. Heaven and hell is just a same thing. First, we analyze what heaven is. Heaven is the living place of god where is very peace, prosperity, having abundant of what ever human basic daily needs, and many gold, silver and precious stone. Now, just imagine we are in this such a place, what ever the need of human being, the god will fulfill his plea. So, this happiness is derived from giving a pleasure for human needs (satisfaction of seeing, having and enjoying something beauty, precious, luxurious and glory). At the last, all of them become just making rivalry among citizens of heaven. Why, because of desire of getting something beauty, good-looking or sex, all the citizen of heaven want to show off their superiority for get this satisfaction. For example, when a man of heaven have encountered a beautiful girl of heaven, he is not just the only man in heaven that admires the beauty of this girl, of course. Because if human have desire of liking or having something beauty or precious, he or she also does have desire to love something beauty from the appearance. And in heaven, now it becomes something like battlefield. All people exactly the very first thing that they think is all about themselves.
“Why you worship for god, to go to heaven and become the child of god.”
You see, this statement is very sensible that the unenlightment human being is just to think about themselves to have something good.
So, the conclusion is heaven in this real world right now. Many people pursuit happiness by just satisfying their needs without concerning other people’s suffering (ex. by killing, by ravaging, hoax ). This action just makes this world become like we see it today, war, massacre and etc.
I hope that the next generation of religion is the religion that not just makes promise of satisfying human need but also really solves the human sickness (the mind sickness).
All of human suffering is the result of human own action. Not the ordeal from god or devil. All of human happiness is also the result of human own action. So, human is the actor of his own suffering and happiness. And remember, there is no the ultimate god.
For the peace of all human being.
[…] Then redress the balance and cheer yourself up with this one. […]
@ This is retarded;
This is redundant. Belief is not a choice.
I couldnt choose to believe any more than you could choose not to. Without “choice”, it is hardly gambling is it? Even if it were a choice, simply choosing faith because it is better than “nothing” doent make it any more true.
Some good posts here and some bad, gonna make this short. Many of those quoted would have openly professed a belief in god. The problem many atheists have with religion draws more from the corruption we can see in organized faith but the mass atheism movement has decided that this means anyone of faith. Consequently the mass atheism movement is probably just as guilty of hubris as the organized religions.
I’d say I’m rather an agnostic. Right now I don’t explicitly believe in a single god, Muslim; Christian; etc…, I understand the value of discourse on the ancient texts such as the Bible or Koran but fear the effects that group think can have on a population. For me religion is a personal thing, some day I may feel a spiritual connection to something, we’ll call it god, and I don’t reject the notion that it could happen. I’m just willing to wait and be wary of the false prophets of mass religious/atheist movements.
Some people qquoted here arent Atheists.
[…] Left of Zen » Top 50 Atheism Quotes […]
Most of these quotes are about religion, not atheism.
I believe these are the most ridiculous comments I have ever read in my life.I think it should be buried.
Well said, Steve K,
I recommend you all read his post. Hits the nail on the head, in my view, and expresses so elequontly my own problem with atheism (and religion). How can you claim absolute knowledge about the non-sxistence of a god without any imperical knowledge? It’s purely beleif, just like deism.
From “Despair” by V. Nabokov:
The non-existence of God is simple to prove. Impossible to concede, for example, that a serious Jah, all wise and almighty, could employ his time in such inane fashion as playing with manikins, and - what is still more incongruous - should restrict his game to the dreadfully trite laws of mechanics, chemistry, mathematics, and never - mind you, never! - show his face, but allow himself surreptitious peeps and circumlocutions, and the sneaky whispering (revelations, indeed!) of contentious truths from behind the back of some gentle hysteric. this divine business is, I presume, a huge hoax for which priests are certainly not to blame; priests themselves are its victims. The idea of God was invented in the small hours of history by a scamp who had genius; it somehow reeks too much of humanity, that idea, to make its azure origin plausible; by which I do not mean that it is the fruit of crass ignorance; that scamp of mine was skilled in celestial law - and really I wonder which variation of Heaven is best: That dazzle of argus-eyed angels fanning their wings, or that curved mirror in which a self-complacent professor of physics recedes, getting ever smaller and smaller. There is yet another reason why I cannot, nor wish to, believe in God: the fairy-tale about him is not really mine, it belongs to strangers, to all men; it is soaked through by the evil-smelling effluvia of millions of other souls that have spun about a little under the sun and then burst; it swarms with primordial fears; there echos in it a confused choir of numberless voices striving to drown one another; I hear it in the boom and pant of the organ, the roar of the orthodox deacon, the croon of the cantor… the flowing eloquency of the Protestant preacher, gongs, thunderclaps, spasms of epileptic women; I see shining through it the pallid p